It’s standard fare for golf courses tout signature holes, but there are only a handful along the Myrtle Beach golf scene that stand out from the crowd, leaving you and your buddies immediately asking, “How did you do?” after the round.

If you place a premium on those breathtaking, potentially match-swinging holes, here are 5 of Myrtle Beach’s most unforgettable par 4s.

– On a layout that offers an embarrassment of riches, the par 4 16th at Pawleys Plantation provides the greatest combination of jaw-dropping scenery and challenge. The dogleg left plays 401 yards (all distances from white tees or the course equivalent) to a fairway that is as wide as any on the course, but a draw around the corner is significantly rewarded, as golfers discover when a green that abuts the tidal marsh comes into view. An already daunting approach will be even more demanding if your tee ball drifts to the right, potentially mandating a layup. The 16th is the hardest hole on the back nine, according to the scorecard, but it’s a challenge you will love. (pictured right)

– Grande Dunes Resort Club is home to a trio of par 4s that play along the Intracoastal, none more memorable than the 386-yard ninth. An elevated tee box offers a dramatic view of the water and a fairway that tumbles away, before beginning a steep ascent back up toward a large, but not particularly severe, green. Driving is at a premium because it will determine the length of an approach that will almost certainly be off a downhill lie. 

– The 18th at Caledonia is the most recognizable par 4 along the Myrtle Beach golf scene, requiring an approach across water to a green residing in the shadow of the property’s famed clubhouse deck. It’s as memorable a shot as there is at the beach, especially when your fellow players are crowded on the porch, oohing and ahhing with the result of every swing. Pro tip: your tee shot will determine the difficulty of the approach. Pull whatever club in the bag you are most likely to hit 205-210 yards, assuming it’s straight, and you will be poised to look like a hero to the assembled masses.

– Tidewater Golf Club joins Pawleys on the short list of the area’s prettiest courses, and the par 4 fourth hole, a gentle dogleg left that hugs Cherry Grove Inlet, is the layout’s best. A draw off the tee is rewarded, but it’s the approach to a green encircled by cavernous bunkers that leaves everyone talking.

– Myrtlewood’s Palmetto Course doesn’t have quite the same pedigree as the other layouts on our list, but I’m partial to No. 18, the first Myrtle Beach golf hole built along the Intracoastal. An elevated tee box offers a panoramic view of the water, setting the stage for a dramatic drive. This is a great hole to finish a match on. (Top photo)

Given how many layouts call Myrtle Beach home, there are numerous other holes that have a claim to being on the list, with a couple of the two-shotters at Glen Dornoch and Rivers Edge leading the charge, but these five par 4s are must plays.

(Photos for this piece from our Instagram Account @myrtlebeachgolftrips follow along!)